Page 30 of Egotistical Jerk
Still leaning against me, her breathing evened out. She was finally asleep. I was in the process of slowly lowering her to her pillow when a large presence filled the room. I didn't even have to look. The butterflies living in my stomach woke up and started fluttering about.
Once Mrs. DuBois was tucked in, I pivoted with a way-too-huge smile on my face.
"Hi."
One look into those stormy dark eyes, though, and my smile was gone.
"I need to talk to you."
No more Sebastian. Dr. Ryker was back in full force. His gaze flicked to the woman on the bed behind me before he spun around and marched out of her room.
I pulled my hair over my shoulder, fingers toying with the elastic band that held my braid in place. Sucking in a breath, I straightened my spine and stalked after Dr. Stormy. I'd made it all but three steps into the hall when his harsh tone reached my ears.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Excuse me?" We were going to have it out again, I could tell by the set of his jaw and the lightning flashing in his eyes. "Wanna repeat that?"
"How long were you lounging in there?" The way he threw those words at me made me feel like I'd done something wrong.
"Does it matter?"
"When you're onmytime, it does." Looking beyond furious, he took a step closer. I had to fight the urge to take one backward. "When you're neglecting other patients, it does." Not only did his voice have an edge to it, but it was also rising. "You don't get paid to sit around and stare at a TV all damn day. You're here to treat patients. Go do your job."
By the end of it, he was all but yelling. Nostrils flaring, he was glaring at me as if I was something he despised. It hurt. And for the first time in a very long while, I was speechless. Dr. Ryker's dark eyes flitted between my right and left eye. For a second, I thought he was going to yell some more. Instead, he shook his head and stomped off.
My heart was pounding inside my chest; drumming out a dejected, yet incensed melody. I blinked a few times and when my surroundings shifted into focus, I noticed that we had attracted an audience.
In an instant, the blood in my veins turned to molten lava. How dare he? How dare he speak to me like that in front of my peers? My hands balled up into tight fists, outrage causing my legs to move.
I didn't even bother knocking when I reached his office; simply threw the door open and then slammed it shut once I was inside. Dr. Ryker was hunched over his desk; head hanging, and palms planted on the smooth surface.
He twisted his dark head my way and I swear the expression on his face looked pained. I didn't give two shits, though.
"Now,Italk, andyoulisten."
Chapter 14
SEBASTIAN
I'd gone too damn far.
Sleep had been an elusive companion the previous night. I'd tossed and turned well into the morning; thoughts of Mia, and this undeniable thing between us at the forefront of my mind. She had told me I got under her skin too.
That meant something, damn it.
The only problem was the ball was now back in my court. The next move was up to me. And shit if I knew what the hell to do. I'd been wrestling with those thoughts when I found her in Cheryl's room. The sight of her damn near killed me because I knew,I freaking knew, she was setting her heart up for a world of hurt.
Why wouldn't she just listen to me on this? I was trying to protect her. Yeah, going about it the way I had probably hadn't been the best approach. But as it always did when she was around, my words came out scrambled while my tone left a lot to be desired. If I could, I would have turned back time and handled it very differently.
I was still in the middle of berating myself when Hurricane Mia blew into my office, looking ready to spit fire. Chest heaving, balled up fists parked on her hips; she was gearing for a fight.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" she spat.
With my hands still planted on my desk, I wet my lips with my tongue. "Mia."
"You might be my superior," she went on as if she hadn't heard me. "But you don't get to talk to me like I'm a child. I've worked my ass off, and I deserve to be treated with respect."
She kept throwing words at me, angry words, but I stopped listening. Not because I didn't care. She was just so damn beautiful. Even—especially—when she was pissed off. My gaze zeroed in on those gorgeous lips moving a mile a minute. I could make out a few words.
